Metal door construction



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April 1961 H. A. ETLING 2,980,217

METAL DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 10, 1958 INVENTOR. HAROLD A. ETLING FIG.7 m

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2,980,217 1 1 w re ee- 1 United States Pa en i METAL DOOR CONSTRUCTION Harold A. Etling, Marshallville, Ohio, assignor to Weather-Seal, Inc., North Barberton, Ohio, 21 corporation of Ohio Filed Oct.'10, 1958, Set. No. 766,589

6 Claims. (Cl. 189-46) This invention relates to metal doors, and especially to end and corner constructions for metal doors wherein the door frames are made from metal side, top and bottom stiles of about the same thickness, and usually of substantially the same cross sectional contour,

At the present time, several different types of metal doors are produced in large quantities. and such doors frequently are used as auxiliary,-or storm doors on building units. In all events, it is desirable that these doors have sturdy, well built frames and that the doors hold their shapes over extended periods of rough use. Naturally the costs of the doors are important in determining the practicality of the doors for many purposes and so the production of a strong, low cost door is very desirable. In general, these'doors are made from extruded metal shapes, usually of hollow, rectangular shape in section. Frequently components of the frames for the doors have been secured together by. welding, suitable reenforcing or connector angles, at the corners of the frame,

Welding is a costly process and frequently leads to metal failures or breakage. Angles and gussets may work loose in use.

The present invention has as a general object the provision of an improved strength metal door characterized by the provision of special reenforcing members at the corners of the door. I I a A further object of the invention is to provide acorner in a metal door where the'door is made from hollow metal stiles secured together by a mortise and tenon type joint and by integral end flaps on the outer of the two stiles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a metal door with certain assembly joints therein substantially hidden from view. 7

Another object of the invention is to cut away or otherwise remove a portion ofthe inner side wall on door stiles so that a reduced thickness end of another stile can be telescoped into engagement with the first-stile through the opening provided therein, be abutted against the re maining side wall of such first stile, and be anchored tightly in such position,

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.

Reference now should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a metal door embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of a section of the top cross.

stile of the door of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the top stile shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation of the end portion of a side stile of the door of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a right side elevation of the stilesection shown in Fig. 4;. I I A Fig, 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner of the door of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of a corner of adoor embodying a modification of the door of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section .taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6; and i Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 9-9 of the door of Fig. 6.

When referring to corresponding parts shown in the drawings and referred to in the specification, corresponding numerals are used to facilitate comparison therebetween.

When referring to doors in this specification, house doors, as well as commercial doors, garage doors, and the like, are all meant to be included within the scopejof such term, and the doors may be used as screen and/or storm doors, and as primary or auxiliary doors, as desired.

. such corner. is of reduced thickness at the end thereof and is received within the other stile through the ,open

ingvprovided by the removed side wall therein, rivet or equivalent meansrextend through or otherwise secure the overlapped ends of the stiles together at the corners of the door and end flaps onthejouter stile at each corner of the door are folded over the inner stile and secured to a side wall thereof so that a sturdy, but inexpensive metal door is provided,

-Reference nowis particularly directed to the details of the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, and a door 1 is indicated therein. The door .1 includes conventional panels, such as glass or screen panels 2. and 3 and a kick panel 4 therein, which panels are secured in place in a conventional manner.

The door 1 includes a frame indicated as a whole by through 9 are made from metal and are normally of the same hollow, rectangular shape and size in section. The surfaces shown on the face of the door in Fig. 1 are considered to be the top walls thereof for describing the door parts so that a top wall 10 and a bottom wall 11 are provided on the top stile 6 which also has an inner side wall 12 and an outer side wall 13 provided thereon. Likewise, the side stile 8 has a top wall 14, a bottom wall 15,' an inner side wall 16 and an outer side wall 17. As a feature of the invention, the end of the top stile 6 is of reduced thickness, as best shown in Fig. 3 and as' indicated at 6a; The end 6a is of such thickness as to acntet planeinthe door.

be received snugly within the side stile 8 intermediate the top and bottom walls 14, and -15 thereof. So as to receive the top stile end 6a" therein, an opening 18 is formed in the inner side wall 16 of the side stile 8 2161a:

' It should 'be' noted that, the

op stile 6 is inse i'ted'f l the side stile 8 until the end of the'topstile abuts' the inner surface of the outer side wall 17 of the side stile. This aids in accurately and automatically setting the top stile and side stile at exactly a right angular relationship to each other and also reenforces the joint produced therebetween. The top stile 6 usually abuts against the lower edge of the opening 18.

Figs. 4, and 9 best show that the laterally outer wall 17 of the side stile 8 is spaced inwardly of the stile. Edge flanges 19 and 20 extend from and reenforce the stile 8 along such outer wall 17. Fig. 5 illustrates that the wall 17 and usually the flanges 19 and 20 are cut off or otherwise removed for a short distance at the end of the side stile 8 to form end flaps 21 and 22 on the stile. It is an important feature of the invention that the end flaps 21 and 22 are folded over the top stile 6 and are riveted to the side wall 13 thereof by rivets 23. Suitable holes are provided in the end flaps 21 and 22 and in the 'side wall 13 for receiving the rivets 23, that are of the so-called blind rivet type. It would be possible to secure the end flaps 21 and 22 in other conventional manners, as by welding, to the side stile 8.

A flange 24 usually is formed integrally with the top stile 6 and may terminate spaced axially from the reduced thickness end section 6a, while a similar flange 25 is providedon the side stile 8 and it extends to the opening 18 provided therein so that these flanges will not interfere with each other when the stiles are brought into'engagement to form a corner on the door. The flanges 24 and 25 are used to aid in determining the position of the panels 2 through 4 of the door and other means (not shown) of any conventional construction can be used to secure these panels in position on the door and against the flanges 24 and 25. Cross stiles 26 and 27 are also provided in the door 1 intermediate the top and bottom stiles 6 and 7. These cross stiles 23 and 24 may have reduced thickness end sections, if desired, and be received in openings provided in the inner side Walls of the side stiles 8 and 9. The cross stiles may be cemented or welded in position. A modified type of a door corner construction, indicated as a whole at 26, is shown in Fig. 7 and this comprises another embodiment of the door means of the invention. In this instance, each of the stiles 6a and 8a has a contoured flange 30 provided thereon that provides a shoulder (not shown) used for positioning an insert panel 31 in the door. It will be seen in Fig. 7 that the adjacent ends of these flanges 30 are beveled at comple mentary 45 angles to provide a neat, tight fit between the stiles at the corner of the door.

'I t also is possible to reenforce the joint between the overlapped stile ends in the metal doors of the invention a cementing or bonding action. Thus commercial products, such as Tygo-Weld, 36B, and the Activator 41 therefor, made by US. Stoneware Company of Akron, Ohio, is a typical commercial cement used to bond metaI-to-metal by the present invention. This adhesive is an alloyed epoxy base structural adhesiveand equivalent materials may be used in lieu thereof. The top and bottom walls and 11 of the top stile 6 would be immediately adjacent the inner surfacesof the top wall 114 of the bottom wall of the side stile8 and can be bonded thereto by a liquid sealing medium that solidifies in" place for a bonding action.

It'should be notedthat the inner side walls of the inner of the stiles at a door corner may be removed gr not as desired.

The end flaps 21 and, 22,011 equivalents may be provided on the top, side'or bottom stiles as preferred in given door construction. Preferably the inner stile end fits snuglyinto the outer stile and abuts on a side vivall of the outer stile to aid in providing a sturdy, rigid door.

l The construction of the invention may be used in makingjwindow as e r-ethe a l s wher anions c r r i nite. .asn netatms absrs s. re i ed.

The end flaps 21 and 22 may be of any suitable width and length. Usually the end flaps are of the width of the stile on which they are formed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that an improved style of corner construction and frames for doors is provided by the invention. The invention is particularly adapted for use with hollow metal door stiles made by extruding them to a desired contour and where the door members are of the same thickness and usually are of the same shape and size in section. The door construction can be readily formed and the components are easily assembled in proper relationship with each other and can be secured together by conventional means to form sturdy, but inexpensive and attractive doors that will hold their shapes and rigidity over long periods of use. Thus it is believed that the objects of the invention have been achieved.

While two complete embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein, 'it will'be appreciated thatmodification of these particular embodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a door comprising hollow metal side stiles, a hollow metal top stile, a hollow metal bottom stile, all of said stiles having top and bottom walls and inner and outer side walls and being of rectangular shape and the same size in section, said side stiles being overlapped with the top and bottom stiles at the corners of the door, one of said stiles at each corner of the door having the inner side wall thereon removed and the other one of said stiles at each said corner being of reduced thickness at the end thereof to be received within said first stile through the opening provided by theremoved side wall therein, the improvement comprising the said stile of unreduced end thickness having a pair of end flaps extending therefrom from the top and bottom walls thereof, said end flaps. being shaped to lie against the outer surfaces of the side wall of the other of said stiles, and rivet means securing the end flaps to the other of said stiles.

2. In a door comprising hollow metal side stiles, a hollow metal top stile, a hollow metal bottom stile, all of said stiles having top and bottom walls and inner and outer side wallsand being of the same general shape and size in section, said side stiles being overlapped with the top and bottom stiles at the corners of the door, one of said stiles at each corner of the door having the inner side wall thereon removed and the other one of said stiles at each said corner. being. of reduced thickness at; the end thereof to be received'within said first stile through the opening provided by the removed side wall therein, the improvementcomprising the said stile' of unreduced end thickness having a'pair of'end flaps extending therefrom: from the top and bottom walls thereof, said end, flaps being shaped to lie' against the outer surfaces of the sidewalls of the other of said stiles, and means securing together at the corner at the adjacent portions thereof,

3. In a door comprising hollow metal side stiles, a hollow metal top stile, a hollow metal bottom stile, allof said stiles having top and bottom walls and inner and outer side walls and being of rectangular shape and the same size in section, said side stiles'being overlapped with the top and bottom stiles at thecorners ofthe door, one of said stiles at each corner of the door having the inner side wall thereon removed and the other one of said stiles at each said corner being of reduced thickness at the end thereof to be received within said first stile through the opening provided by the removed side wall therein, the improvement comprising the said stile of unreduced end thickn ess having a pair of end flaps extending therefrom from the top and bottom walls thereof, sai end aps. eing, hape to. lie a t theouter, Side wall of the other ofsaid stiles and substantially cover such outer side walls, and means securing the overlapped end flaps and adjacent surfaces of the top and bottom walls of the stiles together at the corners of the door.

4. A door comprising hollow metal side stiles, a hollow metal top stile, a hollow metal bottom stile, all of said stiles having top and bottom walls and inner and outer side walls and being of quadrilateral shape and the same size in section, said side stiles being overlapped with the top and bottom stiles at the corners of the door, at least one of said stiles at each corner of the door having the inner side wall thereon removed and the other of said stiles at each said corner being of reduced thickness and of a size'to be received within the other stile through the openings provided by the removed side wall therein, the

said stile with a reduced thickness end being 'abutted top and bottom walls of the other of said stiles, the said stile with a normal size end thereon having end flaps formed on the top and bottom walls thereof lying against the outer side wall of said reduced thickness end stile to substantially enclose such end stile, and rivet means securing said end flaps to said side walls at the corners of the door.

5. 'A generally planar shaped door, window or the like comprising hollow metal side stiles, a hollow metal top stile, a hollow metal bottom stile, all of said stiles having top and bottom walls and inner and outer side walls and being of the same general size, said side stiles being overlapped with the top and bottom stiles at at least one corner of the door, at least one of said stiles at said corner of the door having the inner side wall thereon removed and the other of said stiles at said corner being of reduced thickness and of a size to be received within the other stile through the opening provided by the removed side wall therein, the said stile with a normal size end thereon having end flaps formed on the top and bottom walls thereof lying against a side wall of said reduced thickness end stile, and rivet means securing said end flaps to said side wall at the corner of the door, said rivet means being hidden from view from the front and back of the door.

6. A door comprising hollow metal side stiles, a hollow metal top stile, a hollow metal bottom stile, allof said stiles having top and bottom walls and inner and outer side walls and being of quadrilateral shape and the same size in section, said side stiles being overlapped and in telescopic engagement with the top and bottom stiles at the corners of the door, at least one of said stiles at each corner of the door having the inner side wall thereon removed and the other of said stiles at each said corner I having integral end flanges formed on the top and bottom walls thereof lying against the outer side walls of said reduced thickness end stile, and means securing said end flanges to said side walls at the corners of the door to provide a sturdy reenforced overlapped stile joint at all corners of the door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,729,586 Liebman Sept. 24, 1929 2,336,999 Peele Dec. 14, 1943 2,850,126 Furney Sept. 2, 1958 

